Invisible Friend
by phoenixdragonsphinx
Summary: 5 year old Harry gains a measure of control over his powers, enough to turn invisible and run away.
1. Chapter 1

Invisible Friend

Summery: 5 year old Harry gains a measure of control over his powers, enough to turn invisible and run away.

Chapter 1

Freak sat in his cupboard playing with his marble. It was slowly rising into the air above his palm then sinking back towards his hand. He had always known he was different, that he was bad. At least that's what Uncle Vernon told him that everyday. As he slowly made the marble turn a figure 8 he smiled. Freak didn't think that what he could do was bad. Of course he would never show Uncle Vernon any of it.

Floating his marble was calming and today he would need calming more than ever before. Today was supposed to be his first day of kindergarten. This meant that he would get to leave the house. Freak had not been outside in a very long time. He had no intention of ever coming back into this house again.

Ever since Freak learned that unless someone knew he was there no one could see him, he had begun to plan his escape. This discovery had been wonderful! Aunt Petunia had three ladies over for tea last week. Freak had to go to the bathroom while they were there. He had snuck out of his cupboard but all three women had been in the hallway. However, none had seen him. He froze when he heard Aunt Petunia's voice calling that tea was ready. All three women had moved right by him, but not a one had seen him. Freak hoped this meant that no one could see him, but that had been ruined a few minutes later when Dudley pushed him into the wall on his way to the bathroom.

Freaks plan was simple, Uncle Vernon would take Dudley and he to school. Once he left, Freak would simply walk away. No one would see him since no one expected to see him. With this in mind, Freak put everything he had in to the paper bag he had been given to carry his books. Everything consisted of his marble, two crayons, a picture of a motorcycle with wings and an extra pair of too large underwear. Having everything packed, Freak waited for Aunt Petunia to wake him to make breakfast.

He wasn't waiting long. Less than 30 minutes later the bang came on his door. He smiled has he climbed out of his tiny sanctuary, hopeful for the last time.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Arthur watched his children playing out in the yard as they waited for Molly, his wife and their mother, to call them in for lunch. 7 children, 6 rowdy boys and his beautiful little princess, Ginny. The two oldest, Bill and Charlie, were leaving in a few days to head back to Hogwarts. Percy was driving him crazy asking to go to Hogwarts a year early. That boy just loved to learn, to the point that he seemed to not know how to have fun. Then there were the twins, Fred and George. They were the exact opposite of Percy, nothing but fun. Ron, his youngest boy, followed the two troublemakers around everywhere.

His little Princess Ginny was the youngest, the first girl to be born to a Weasley in 4 generations. Molly had so wanted a girl. Arthur never thought it would happen, but then number seven was a little girl. Seven was an important number in the magical world. It was said that the seventh child was destined for great things. If you asked Ginny, she would tell you her great destiny was to marry Harry Potter. The boy-who-lived was her hero.

As he thought this, he looked away from the boy playing chase in the yard to his little girl having a tea party 10 feet in front of him. She had 2 place sets, one in front of her and the other across from her. She was serving the empty place setting and chattering to herself.

"Would you like more tea, Harry?" the little 4 year old girl offered.

Arthur smiled. Privately he hoped his little girls dream came true.

* * *

><p>"Come on Sweetheart, bedtime." Molly said as she picked up the sleepy little girl and walked up the stairs.<p>

"Story?" the little girl yawned.

"Sure Sweetie, what about?" Molly said as she laid her daughter on her bed.

"Harry Potter?"

Molly chuckled, "Are there stories about anything else?"

"Nope. Tell me a story about what Harry is doing now." Ginny demanded.

Molly sighed and began her story. Half way through she stopped noticing the little girl was sound asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Freak sat in the back seat of the car as Uncle Vernon drove Dudley and he to their first day at Kindergarten. The building they approached was large and teaming with children and parents. Freak smiled as he though about getting away. The first thing he would do was find food. He had not been allowed to eat yesterday. It had rained and Uncle Vernon had left his windows down on the car. Aunt Petunia claimed that Freak had made it rain, so no food for the day. Freak was pulled from his thoughts as the car stopped. Dudley opened his door and Freak slide out behind him.

"Have a good day, Duddy-boy" Uncle Vernon called as they got out.

"Bye daddy!" Dudley yelled through the car door.

Freak stood still as the teacher walked Dudley and several other children toward the school. Dudley turned around and stuck his tongue out at him as they walked away. Freak turned and walked the other way.

His first stop was a gas station across the street and 3 blocks down. No one seemed to see him. The girl behind the counter gave the door a funny look when he opened it, but then shrugged and turned back to her book. Freak walked around looking at the food. It was mostly candy. He had never had candy before. After picking up 5 candy bars, Freak decided he needed something to put them in. Looking around he saw bags like the one Aunt Petunia had bought for Dudley to carry his school books in. Picking one up, he slid his paper bag of positions into it along with the candy bars. Freak also grabbed a bag of chips and several bottles of the fizzy drink Dudley loved.

Having gotten food, Freak walked around looking at what else was in the store. He picked up several thinks that looked interesting. A bright red yo-yo, a pack of army soldiers, and a lighter shaped like a puppy. Smiling brightly at his stash he headed for the door. Just as he got there a man was coming in. Freak slipped out as the man opened the door.

Setting off down the road away from the school and away from the Dursley's house a fizzy drink in one hand and a candy bar in the other, Freak smiled from ear to ear.

* * *

><p>As the sun went down, Freak began looking around him. He saw a brightly lit deli, and headed for it. Once inside he saw an empty booth. He headed towards in, and lay down on the padded booth. It was much softer than his bed in the cupboard. Pulling out his last candy bar Freak ate it then went to sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Freak woke with the sun. His tummy was rumbling. Candy bars and crisp were wonderful, he understood why Dudley always begged for them now, but Freak wanted real food now. Freak sat up in his booth and looked around. To his left was the bathroom and to his right was a glass case full of meats. Freak Smiled again.<p>

He got up and walked to the bathroom first. When he came back out, he walked around the cabinet full of meat. Behind it he saw breads. Freak grabbed several slices and began making sandwiches. He made one and began eating it as he made the next. For the first time he was aloud to eat the food he made.

By the time the owner got there to open up the deli at 8 am, Freak had made 6 sandwiches and cleaned up his mess. When the man when into the back, Freak opened the door and walked back out onto the street.

As Freak walked down the road he thought about what the Dursley's thought of him being gone. They had probably had a party when he wasn't in the pick up line after school yesterday. Shaking that thought away, Freak wondered what he would do now. He mumbled to himself as he walked.

"Ice cream first, Dudley loved that. Then a movie, I've heard those, but never seen one. Pizza, have to thy Pizza." Just then, a bus with a picture of the London eye on it passed. "That, I wanna ride that!"

To do list set, Freak set out in search of Ice Cream.

* * *

><p>That night after finding both ice cream and pizza, Freak looked around for a dinner to sleep in. However he had walked into a mostly residential area. So he walked over to a car and tried to back door, locked. He tried 4 more before finding one with a back seat he could crawl in. Freak pulled out one of his sandwiches and his marble. His marble gently floated back and forth in front of him as he ate his dinner.<p>

Freak laid back and the marble hovered above him. Freak had always found floating things easy. Since finding out that he could be invisible too, he had wondered what else he could do. With this thought in mind, Freak eyed his marble. It was clear with little air bubbles inside. He thought it would be pretty if the air bubbles had a color, so he reached up to the marble and took hold of it between his finger and thumb. Narrowing his eyes he said, "Green."

As soon as the word left his mouth the air bubbles inside his marble became green. Smiling he said, "Red." Again the bubbles changed colors. "Blue." Freak giggled. Holding the marble with both hands, Freak tilted his head and said, "Two." Suddenly he had a marble in each hand. He released the one in his right hand and griped the original again. "Two." Again each hand held a marble. He let go of both and they floated up to the one in the center. Looking at them they were all blue. Looking at the one on the right he said, "Red" and to the left "Green." Smiling, and exhausted, Freak put the marbles into his bag and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Thunder and lightening woke Freak in the middle of the night. Freak had never been outside in the rain before. A little afraid, Freak reached for his marbles. Digging into his bag he could only find one marble, the blue one. Holding the marble he curled up and tried to go back to sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>Freak woke again only to be thrown to the floorboard of the car. He sat up terrified only to find the car in motion and a man in a suit in the driver's seat. Curling around his bag in the floorboard he sat as still and as quite as possible. About thirty minutes later the car stopped and the man got out. Freak waited a few minutes before he too got out.<p>

Freak found himself in a parking lot. Having no idea where he was for a moment he was scared. Then deciding that this was as good a place as any he grabbed another sandwich and began walking. Freak didn't know it yet but he was now over half way to London and only a ride on the underground away from the London eye.

AN: I am posting as I write. Right now I am super motivated. When school starts back (I'm a teacher) I don't know what kind of time I'll have. My plans right now are for this story to take Harry and Ginny through all seven Hogwarts years and killing Voldie... might be one story or might be several. Don't know yet. Since I am posting as I go, all suggestion are welcome. I have certain scenes planed out, and parings will be cannon. Beyond that let me know what you want to see and I'll try to work it in.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Freak wandered around his new area. After 10 minutes he found a supermarket and decided he needed more candy bars. As he approached the doors, they opened without him touching it! Freak's eyes got wide and he backed up. The doors shut. A woman with a girl about Freak's age passed him, and the doors opened again. Freak walked closer and the doors opened, he backed up and they shut. Smiling from ear to ear Freak played with the door again and again.

"Winston! Door's broke again…'s been open and closing by itself again!" a teen screamed, shocking Freak out of his fun.

Freak walked into the store still smiling.

20 minutes and a bag full of candy bars later, Freak played with the door a few more times on the way out. Walking out of the story, Freak decided to follow the people. This led him into a large, loud building. The flow of people pushed Freak in to a small silver room with seats on each side. Everyone sat as they entered, then the doors closed. Freak smiled, more doors! Walking closer to the doors so they would open again, Freak was puzzled when they didn't open.

Suddenly Freak was laying on the floor staring on the ceiling. Confused, he sat up. This reminded him of this morning when he was thrown in the back of the car. He stood up and looked around. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. The walls outside the windows were moving!

Seeing an open seat not far away, Freak moved towards it. He climbed on it on his knees and looked out the window. This was the most amazing thing! Freak wondered where he was going now. After only 5 minutes the walls stopped moving, and the doors opened. Freak looked around, no one got off but several more got on. The doors shut and the walls began to move again. Freak decided that he would get off then everyone else did.

Several more times the walls stopped and the doors opened. Sometimes more people would get on, and one or two people would exit. Finally the walls began to stop again and many people stood. Freak stood as well and walked out with the others. Through the doors was a huge room even bigger and louder that the last one. Behind him he heard the doors close. Turning he watched as the small silver room took off with a blur! Blinking he turned around, there was people were moving towards the stairs. Freak followed them.

Outside and across the street was a black building with brightly colored pictures of cool and scary people. Deciding that was what he was doing next Freak looked both ways and crossed the street. Inside he saw a small group of people standing next to a man wearing all black with a long black coat and a black top hat. He walked over and listened to what the man was saying.

"Welcome, to the London Bridge Experience! Beyond this point you will find the noblest knights and the worst criminals, but beware! Pick-pockets and scoundrels are everywhere! Prepare to laugh and scream as you learn of the gruesome history of the London Bridge!"

Freak moved forward as the others did. The next hour was the most amazing thing he had ever done. _Funny,_ Freak thought,_ I've thought that about everything I've done since walking away from school. Candy bars are amazing. Fizzy drinks are amazing. The moving room is amazing! But this…_ Freak had no words to describe it. People in funny clothes told all kinds of stories. When the man in black told them they could stop here or hold hands to go on, Freak decided he was hungry. Anyway, if he held hands the people would see him. He dug out a candy bar and walked towards a little shop.

Eating his second candy bar, Freak looked up at a black coat like that man had been wearing. He touched it and wished it was his size. He had never had anything so nice before. As the thought crossed his mind the coat began to shrink. Freak giggled and grabbed the now smaller coat. He started to put it on, but decided he smelled. He had been gone for 3 days and it would have been time for his weekly bath the night he left. Stuffing his new coat in his bag, He looked around for new clothes too. He snagged a shirt with the places logo on it, and a pair of fuzzy pants with little bridges all over them, again both shrank to his size. Satisfied, he left to look for a place to clean up.

Freak dug out his last sandwich and walked outside. He had not walked far when he came to a huge river. Freak didn't know how to swim, but decided he could just stay at the edge he'd be ok. It took him awhile to figure out how to get down to the water, but once there he made quick work for splashing water on his face and arms. Finishing he put on this new clothes. He felt better, but kind of sticky. Sighing he grabbed his bad. He decided not to put his new coat on yet, or his shoes.

He walked down the river until the sun set. Just past the 4th bridge he went under was a pub with comfortable looking booths. He walked in and found an empty booth. Curling up for the night he yawned and went to sleep.

AN: They should meet next chapter. Please give me ideas on where to take it... Like I said last chapter, I have some scenes planned but not a real plot yet. Any ideas would be appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: It was pointed out to me that the London Eye would not have been there at this point... all I can say is that I needed the plot devise. I know the chapters are short... but I'm writing as I go and posting as soon as the thought is complete.

Chapter 5

"Boys!" Molly yelled. "Hurry up or you'll miss the train!" Her two oldest were headed back to Hogwarts today. She had a full day planned. First, see Bill and Charlie off to Hogwarts. Then drop Fred, George and Percy off at the Diggory boy's overnight birthday party. Ron was spending the day with Arthur, so she and Ginny were going to for lunch in the Leaky Cauldron then shopping in Diagon Alley.

* * *

><p>Freak did not have as good a night in the Pub as he had in the deli. After waking up by being sat on, then kicked half a dozen times as he ducked under the table to get away, he noticed that there were many more people in the pub now than there were when he had come in. He had a hard time getting to the door, it was so crowded. That was how he came to wake up where he was, about half way up in the London Eye. Not long after he squeezed out of the pub he had seen it. He ducked into a bathroom then waited until people exited with no one to get on in there place, before he darted into the clear tube.<p>

Waking up this high in the air was a wonderful feeling! He had never been so high. As soon as he had risen into the air, he decided he never wanted to leave. Freak had fallen asleep as soon as the eye stopped spinning, and woke with the sun. He hoped the tube would begin spinning soon; he had to use the bathroom! To take his mind off his bladder, Freak dug out his marble. He flouted it around for a moment before a brilliant idea formed in his mind inspired by waking up 90 meters in the air. If he could make the marble float, could he make himself float?

With this idea in mind, he sat and focused on himself the way he focused on the marble. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing and thought about flying. He saw himself soaring through the clouds, felt their cold wet fluffiness. He was spinning around buildings and trees, and circling birds as he joined them in his flight. He had never felt so wonderful, so free, so…OWW! Freak banged into the top of his tube, broke his concentration, and fell to the floor. Rubbing his head, he tried again, this time more aware of his surrounding while he focused. He slowed his breathing again, but kept his eyes open. Again he thought about flight and the feeling it gave him. It took over an hour before he felt himself lift off the floor again.

Freak soon discovered that while he could float at will, up and down, he could not move around. He waved his arms, kicked his legs, still nothing. Floating back down to the floor pleased, but slightly disappointed at not being able to fly around, Freak decided to try other things. _Ok,_ he thought, _I can float, I can make people not see me, I can move stuff and make stuff change shape and color, what else? _Freak thought about the cartoons Dudley used to watch. He was never allowed to watch them, but he could hear through the cupboard door. _Those characters could do everything! Change the way they looked, control the weather, just everything! _He decided to start there.

* * *

><p>By the time the Eye started to move again, Freak had made no progress on either changing his appearance or controlling the weather. For the last hour he had done little else but try not to wet his pants! The moment the door opened he bolted out of his tube and into the public bathroom.<p>

His most pressing need taking care of, Freak headed towards the large building in the on the other side of the bridge. He knew what it was, parni-mint building. The Dursley's had been over the summer, there was a picture of the three in front of the tower. Freak had no idea what a parni-mint was, but he knew that this building had them. Maybe he could find one while he was here.

Freak wondered around until lunchtime looking for a mint, but never found any. After a few hours he gave up, and headed to look for food. He wandered down the road for about a mile, before he got distracted from his quest for food. A pub has just appeared! It wasn't there when he first looked, then a weirdly dressed man walked out and the two buildings on either side seemed to move apart as a new one squeezed in between. He couldn't read the words but there was a huge pot with a wooden spoon in the middle of them. This building was like him! He immediately walked across the street and into the building.

* * *

><p>Flooing with little ones was always a chore. Molly stumbled out as she and Ginny tripped over each other. She spotted an empty table and steered Ginny towards it.<p>

"Sit here sweetheart, and I'll get food."

Ginny complied then shouted after her mother, "I want fish!"

* * *

><p>Freak walked into the strange appearing pub and looked around. He saw a little girl about his age sitting all alone and walked towards her.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

AN: About Harry's powers, the way I see it he doesn't know what magic should be able to do so he can do anything, even things that he shouldn't be able to do. This will carry over even once he's older and knows the things that he does shouldn't be possible. Please suggest powers you would like to see Harry develop.

Chapter 6

Ginny saw a little boy walking towards her. He was dressed funny. The boy stopped a few feet from her table and looked at her.

"Hi, my name is Ginny. Wanna sit with me?"

The boy looked surprised when she spoke. His first words explained why, "You can see me?"

"Of course!" She scooted over and patted the seat next to her, "Sit with me, mommy is getting fish and chips. I love fish, do you like fish? You can have some of mine, I never finish it all. Here, sit by me. What is you name?"

Freak was overwhelmed by the girl's rapid speech. No one had spoken to him in days, and even then it was never nice. The girl seemed to notice his hesitation and slid out of the booth, grabbed his hand and pulled. He went with her and allowed himself to be pushed into the booth. The small girl climbed in after him, effective pinning him in.

"What's your name? I'm Ginny Weasley and I just turned 4."

"I, I'm… I'm Freak."

"Freak?" Ginny gaped at him, "freak is a mean name, I'm not aloud to call my brothers that. I can't call you that. Don't you have another name?"

Freak hung his head and looked down at the table, then mumbled "Uncle Vernon called me boy."

"Well your uncle is a bad man. Is he here? Mommy will yell at him for calling you mean names. Then you can stay with us. Mommy doesn't let us call each other mean name. Do you not have a real name?" Again Freak was overwhelmed by the small girl, but shook his head No in answer.

"Then I'll just have to name you" She said matter-of-factly. "How about Harry? After my hero Harry Potter! He's the bravest wizard alive! I'm going to marry him some day. I'll tell you all about him. Mommy and Daddy tell me stories about him every night."

As Ginny was rattling on, a slightly frumpy, heavy-set, red headed lady walked up to the table carrying two baskets of fish and fries. "Ginny-dear, who are you talking to?" Molly asked. She had noticed her daughter just talking away to no one at the table.

"My new friend, Harry" Ginny responded pointing to the boy next to her. "His uncle is mean to him, so I told him he could stay with us now."

Molly looked to the empty seat next to her daughter and decided to humor her. Imaginary friends were quite common at her age and her little girl had always idolized Harry Potter. "Of course Harry can stay, dear. Does he need his own food or can he share with you?"

Ginny looked to her new friend in question. Freak didn't know what to do. No one had seen him in days and now this little girl could and her mother was offering to feed him. His wide eyed stare made Ginny laugh. "I told him he could have some of mine." Ginny made sure Harry ate a piece of her fish and some of her fries.

Throughout lunch Molly asked Ginny questions about her new imaginary friend. Ginny would look to Harry for answers to her mother questions, but was becoming confused that her mother seemed not to be able to hear answers, always asking her to repeat them. Freak, or Harry as he supposed he should start thinking of himself, on the other hand was relieved. The girl could seem him but the lady couldn't. As nice as it was to have the girl talk to him, adults still scared him.

When they were done eating, Molly began towing her daughter through the pub to the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Wait Mom," Ginny insisted, "Come on Harry."

Molly watched as her little girl held her hand out to no one. She slowed down to accommodate her daughter and her invisible friend. She led the way to alley and opened the wall. She led them through the Alley towards Gringotts.

Harry was astounded! He looked at Ginny and whispered, "What is this place?"

"Welcome, Harry, to Diagon Alley. This is where witches and wizards come to shop in London. I'm a witch. Can you do magic, Harry?" Ginny whispered back.

Harry smiled and reached into his bag. He pulled out his marble and showed it to her. Smiling, he made a second marble then put the original back in his bag. "What's your favorite color?" He asked her.

"Green," she replied.

Harry concentrated on making the marble a light green and the air bubbles inside a dark pulsing green. Satisfied, he handed her the marble, "The last one I made disappeared after a while, but I concentrated this on making this one stay longer."

"It's so beautiful!" Ginny gushed taking the marble. "I'm going to get mommy to put it on a chain for me, so I can wear it as a necklace."

"I can do it, what kind of chain?" Harry replied

Ginny described the chain, and Harry made it. He handed it to her and she slipped it over her head.

"Thank you, Harry." Ginny fingered her chain. "Why can't mommy see you?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't like to be seen, I get hit when I'm seen…" he glanced over at her "you're the first one to see me since I left them."

Ginny pulled her hand from her mothers and grabbed Harry's with both of hers, "I see you, Harry. I won't let anyone hurt, ever."

Harry looked at her hard trying to decide if she was being honest. No one had ever offered to help him before. He decided then and there that he would do anything in his power to see this girl, his first friend, happy.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In Gringotts, Harry got his first look at non-human beings, goblins. He asked Ginny dozen of questions about what they were and what other creatures were real. He would have kept peppering her with whispered questions, but then the cart to the vault took off and he lost all thought. This was the best thing he had felt since discovering he could float! He now knew what he had to do… find some way to fly high and fast!

When they got to their vault molly told Ginny to wait in the cart while she went in. This was when the children discovered that the goblins could see him.

"Will we be going to Sirs vault as well?" the goblin asked.

"You can see me?" Harry responded shocked.

"Goblins can see through many charms, sir. Those to alter appearance or perception especially. It is how we keep the gold safe. You variant of the notice-me-not charm is powerful, one I have never seen before, but not strong enough to deceive a goblin." Their guide replied as Molly returned to the cart. "No other vaults, Madam?"

"No, thank you" Molly replied.

They returned to the entrance hall. As they were leaving, Ginny felt Harry's hand pull out of hers and looked back. Harry was talking to the goblin.

"Can you teach me?" Harry asked "I just discovered I can do things."

"Children learn at Hogwarts" the goblin replied.

"What is Hogwarts?"

The goblin was flabbergasted, how could this boy, the wizard's hero, someone who was incredibly powerful, not know about Hogwarts? What were the wizards thinking? The shrewd goblin saw an opportunity here. This boy would become important, he was the heir one of the wealthiest old families, and he was obviously powerful. Yes. He would help the boy.

"Child, My name is Griphook, and I will teach you anything you wish to know. Ask for me by name when you return.

Harry thanked him and left through the door Ginny had gone through a moment earlier.

* * *

><p>Ginny was worried for a moment when Harry stopped, but just a moment after they exited, Harry followed. When he caught up to them Harry took her hand again and smiled. Ginny kept up a running commentary about the stores they passed and the things they saw. Harry had a few questions, but for the most part just enjoyed listening to Ginny talk.<p>

They shopped for robes for Ginny and her brothers. Harry was a bit scared of Ginny having brothers. Ginny was non-threatening to Harry. He had never been around girls before. Adults were dangerous, boys were dangerous. They hurt you if they saw you. He may have a name now thanks to Ginny, but Freak was still afraid.

Ginny didn't seem to notice her new friends fear as she rattled on about each of her brothers. Her mention of Hogwarts snapped him from his fear.

"What is Hogwarts? You have two brothers there?" he asked.

"Yeah, Bill and Charlie are both there now, Percy will go next year." She explained

"What do they do there?"

"Hogwarts teaches magical children how to do magic. Bills favorite is defense and charms, and Charlie's wants to take care of dragons." She told him, then paused and looked at Harry strangely. "Harry? How can you do magic without a wand? Mommy says I can't yet because I'm too young for a wand, but you can."

Harry shrugged, "I'll show you. Here, hold your marble in your hand like this." He showed her with his own marble. "Now think of the color purple, see the marble as purple, and then just make it purple."

Ginny closed her eyes and squeezed the marble. After a moment she opened her eyes again and looked down at the marble. Nothing.

"It took me a few tries too, don't worry." Harry reassured her when he saw her face fall. "Keep trying, you'll get it."

"Come on Ginny-bean, let's go home." Molly said, as she turned away from the register with several robes in her hands.

They headed towards the Leaky Cauldron to floo home. On the way, Ginny explained floo travel to Harry. "We have to go through with mommy, but the fire doesn't hurt 'cause of the floopowder."

Harry was nervous, but Ginny tugged his hand and pulled him into the fire.

AN: Any suggestions about things you'd like to see would be appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

AN: if you've never read the Beedle the Bard book I recommend it highly. Portions of this chapter come from that book. All information on animals comes from Fantastic Beasts.

Chapter 8

Molly stumbled out of the floo and almost tripped. She hated flooing with a child in tow, it through off her balance. This time was unusually over balancing though. Shaking off the through she herded her daughter towards the couch and handed her a book.

"10 minutes, Ginny, then you can go play. Remember outloud." Ginny was an exceptional reader for her age. She was currently working through Beedle the Bard's _Babbitty Rabbitty. _10 minutes a day. She usually got through about a page. The Bard's stories were difficult but all of her kids knew the stories so well from hearing them so many times.

Ginny nodded and picked up the book. "The King st-o-rm-ed, stormed back to the place…"

"Palace." Molly yelled from the kitchen where she had gone to fix lunch.

Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled at Harry, "…Palace, le-a-v-ing, leaving the karlton…"

"Charlatan, sweetie." Came from the kitchen.

Harry stared at the little girl in front of him in awe. She could read? "Can you teach me?" he begged.

Ginny patted the seat beside her and tilted the book so he could see it too. "I'll teach you later, how bout right now I read to you?" she knew she had said the right thing the moment she saw his eye light up. Harry scampered up on the couch to listen to his first story.

"This is Babbitty Rabbitty, a story about a mean king that didn't want anyone else to do magic but him. All the real witches and wizards were hiding and a fake, that karlaton word, decided he could steal jewels and stuff from the king by pretending to teach him magic. But the king looked so dumb that he made Babbitty laugh and then he got mad at karlaton. That's where I'm reading now." Ginny explained.

"I don't hear any reading!" Molly yelled from the kitchen.

"Sorry mommy! I was telling Harry where I was in the story!" Ginny yelled back before turning back to the story.

* * *

><p>Molly finished up dinner and looked at the clock. 5:30, Arthur and Ron should be back any minute. She decided to go look for Ginny. Wiping her hands on her apron, Molly headed in to the living room only to stop in her tracks. Ginny was sitting on the floor with her primer in front of her pointing to the letters and saying their sounds.<p>

"This one is 'M.' it says mmmm. Like 'mmmm that's good.'" She paused and nodded then moved on. "This one is 'N,' like NNNNo. You have to be careful reading those two 'cause they look alike… I never thought about it like that, an 'M' like mountains... 'O' like ohh, but it's a vowel so it has a bunch of sounds depending on what letters are around it… I know I hate vowels. As soon as you think you know all the sounds you find a word that doesn't fit. It's annoying."

"Gin-pin, what are you doing?" Molly interrupted.

Ginny looked up, "Teaching Harry to read."

"Oh," Molly was response, it was not what she expected her daughter to pretend to do with her new imaginary friend, but it was productive at least. "well, carry on."

Bemused, Molly went back to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Moments later the fire flashed green and her husband and youngest son stumbled out. Ron kissed his mom's cheek before running out into the garden. Arthur sat across from his wife. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

"How was your day, dear heart?" He asked her.

She smiled, "Good, I got new robes for the kids, and Ginny made up a new friend. She's been teaching imaginary Harry to read for almost an hour now."

Arthur laughed, "That's not new dear. She was having tea with Harry and Mr. Tubbins the stuffed dragon the other day. Poor girl gets left out with all these boys romping around the house all day, and all she wants to do is host a tea party."

"I suppose imaginary friends are normal at her age. I just hope she outgrows this little crush before she gets to Hogwarts and meets the real Harry Potter. The reality and the dream are never the same." Molly sighed

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the living room Harry and Ginny had finished the story and introduced the alphabet before deciding that was enough work for the day. Ginny had decided to show Harry the family animals. They had four at the moment. So they headed to the makeshift owlery in the attic<p>

"This is Errol, the family owl."

"Your family has an owl?" Harry asked her as he tentatively reached out to stroke the bird's chest as Ginny was.

"'Course, all magical families do, they deliver our letters." She replied.

"Like mailmen?" at Ginny's confused look he explained what a mailman was before questioning, "How do the birds know where to take the letter?"

"You just tell the owl. Owls are as intelligent as humans and have a better sense of direction. Plus they can feel magic so they know where people are." Ginny explained.

Harry stared at the owl in awe, "Hello Errol, it's nice to meet you." Errol hooted in return and held up his right foot. Giggling Harry waved to the owl.

"The lazy ball of fluff over there is Fliterpaws, Mom's kneazle."

"Kneazle?" questions Harry "Kinda looks like a little spotted lion."

"Kinda acts like one, too. Mom's had him since before she married dad. Mean thing loves mom but hates the rest of us. I think he's 18 or 19 years old. Stay away from him or he'll scratch you." Harry nodded acknowledging her words.

"What's next?" Harry asked, content to leave the little lion asleep.

"Ron's Puffskein," she answered as they headed down stairs.

"What's a Puffskein?"

Ginny opened the door to her brother's room and pointed. "That." Harry looked where Ginny was pointing and say a yellowish fuzz ball. "This is Mr. Fuzzypants. He doesn't do much. Just lies around and purrs when you pet him." Ginny moved to sit on the floor near the creature. "Sit" she ordered

Harry moved to sit next to her. When he sat Ginny picked Mr. Fuzzypants up and put him in Harry's lap. The creature immediately emitted a low purr. Harry smiled and reached to pet the puffskein. Moments later a long, wet, pink string nudged Harry's hand. "Epp" Harry squeaked and moved away from the creature allowing Mr. Fuzzypants to fall to the floor. "What is that!"

Ginny busted out laughing. "His tongue, he's looking for food." She grabbed a treat off of Ron's dresser. "Here you go Fuzzy." About that time the door swung open revealing a sweaty little boy.

"GINNY? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL YOU DOING IN MY ROOM? GET OUT!" he screeched. Harry jumped up and bolted.

"WAIT!" Ginny called after him. She shot her brother a glare and ran after Harry.

She found him in the closet of Bill's and Charlie's room over an hour later. He was lying on his side curled into a little ball playing with his marble. Ginny stepped in to the closet, pulled the door shut and sat down next to him. She didn't say anything, just watched his marble as it glowed softly, changing colors and moving about.

After a while Harry spoke. "He scared me. My cousin yells like that. He used to chase me and hit me."

Ginny scooted over and pulled Harry's head into her lap. "I'll never let anyone hit you again, Harry. I'll protect you."

Harry took her hand and said "I'll protect you too, Ginny."

* * *

><p>Downstairs, the dishes rattled and the blinds shook. The lamp in the living room toppled over and broke as a lite wave of magic pulsed through the house.<p>

* * *

><p>AN: I know I said 4 animals… the fourth is scabbers, but they haven't got to him yet.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Molly was worried two hours later when she couldn't find her daughter. She had finished dinner and gone to gather those of her family who were home tonight. Arthur was in his shed playing with his muggle contraptions, Ron was in his room, but Ginny was no where to be found.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, upstairs in the closet of Bill and Charlie's room, Ginny had finally managed to get her marble to change colors and light up. She still couldn't make it move like Harry could, but was quite pleased with her progress. She was however exhausted, so she and Harry were lying on the floor talking.<p>

"So tell me about magic." Harry asked

"Well, I don't know all the names, but I do know some." She began. "There are hexes and curses, those for bad guys. Things like… um… making bat fly out of someone's nose or something. Then there's charms, those make thing so stuff, like that you do with the marble. Um… tans.. thans… um… I can say it, but it making one thing be something else. There's one that make stuff appear out of nowhere… there are others but I can't remember them."

"The making stuff be something else one… like making this shoe a toy bear or something?"

"Ohhh" Ginny squalled, "A Dragon! Make it a girl, Mr. Tubbins needs a girlfriend! Can you make her pink?"

"Can I see Mr. Tubbins?" Harry asked.

"Sure, he's in my room. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the closet.

* * *

><p>Molly was going frantic. Ginny wasn't outside, she wasn't in her room, and all the other doors upstairs were closed. Even the attic was empty. She hustled down the stairs to find her husband to enlist his help finding their daughter, but on her way through the second floor she heard her voice. It was coming from her bedroom that had been empty on the way up.<p>

"This is Mr. Tubbins, Charlie got him for me for Christmas last year." Molly peeked in to the room. Ginny was hold the toy and nodding as if she were listening to someone. "Exactly, except girl colors like pink and purple, that way she can be Mrs. Tubbins."

"Ginny" Molly called from the door causing the girl to turn towards her. "Where have you been sweetie, I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry Mommy. I was showing Harry the family pets and while I was showing him Mr. Fuzzypants Ron yelled and scared him so he hid in the closet." Ginny explained.

Molly smiled fondly then said, "Well wash up and come down for dinner." Molly waited for an acknowledgment, which came in the form of Ginny's nod, before heading down to the kitchen herself.

* * *

><p>Dinner was odd for Ginny. She could see Harry sitting in the chair next to her with a plate full of food, but no one else could. After awhile she decided that having Harry all to herself was good, even if it meant she got some weird looks when she spoke to him.<p>

When bed time came, Molly sent her kids to bathe. Luckily, as there were only two at home at the moment it would be a swift process. Ron was sent to the shower on the third floor and Ginny to the bathroom in the master bedroom.

On the way up to the bathroom, Ginny glanced at Harry. "You want to wash too? There is another shower on the fifth floor, but mom may think it's suspicious that the water is running there with no one in it. We do have a Ghoul though… we could blame it on him. I guess."

Harry stiffed himself, "I need too, I stink."

Ginny showed Harry the bathroom then headed to her parents from for her bath.

* * *

><p>After bath time, Ginny insisted on Molly telling the story of Harry Potter. The real story, not a made up one. She wanted Harry to know about her hero and the boy she had named him after.<p>

Molly sighed as she began. "For a long time the word was afraid. There was an evil man who wanted to rule the world."

"We don't say his name because he might come back and hurt us again." Ginny interrupted, explaining the next bit of the story to Harry.

"That's right," Molly continued, "we call him, Hw-who-must-not-be-named or You-know-who. Many people fought against him, but none more fiercely that Auror Potter and…"

Again Ginny interrupted her mother, "A warrior who fights bad guys."

Molly developed a puzzled expression, "What was that sweetheart?"

"Harry asked what an Auror was." Ginny explained.

Molly nodded and continued the story, "Auror Potter and his wife, Lily, a charms mistress. The two were a throne in the evil man's side. They resisted him at every turn and fought bravely time and again. You-know-who decided that they had defied him for the last time. He set out to kill them. The Potters went into hiding just weeks after discovering they were to become parents. For over a year they hid, but one day, someone they trusted betrayed there location to You-know-who."

"It was Sirius Black, right Mom?" Ginny asked.

"Yes dear, he betrayed his friends. You-know-who broke into their home and killed them both, but when that evil man turned his want to baby Harry something strange and wonderful happened. No one knows how, but something about baby Harry defeated him. You-know-who was destroyed, nothing left but his robe. Baby Harry had only a jagged scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightening bolt."

"And then they caught the traitor, right?" Ginny said asked.

"Yes, they did, but not before he killed 13 muggles and Peter Pettigrew, another friend he betrayed."

"But he's Athcaban now so it's ok." Ginny told Harry.

"Azkaban, dear." Molly corrected. "Ok, sweetie go to sleep."

Molly tucked Ginny into bed, turned off the lights and left the room, leaving the door open just a crack. Ginny looked to where Harry was standing next to her bed. He looked pale and shaky.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"They lied to me." He whispered. "They hurt me, and they lied to me!"

Ginny stared at him for a moment before reaching out a hand; she pulled him on to the bed to sit next to her. Hugging him, she asked, "Who lied to you?"

"My uncle, he said my dad was an abusive drunk and my mom was a crack whore and they died in a car crash and that's where my scar came from." He whispered.

"What scar?" she whispered, still hugging him.

Harry slowly reached towards his head and pulled back his bangs reveling a jagged lightening bolt scar.

* * *

><p>AN: FYI, I teach high school, and school has started back. This means updates will be slow, but since this is a stress relief exercise for me, will not stop altogether. I have no intention of abandoning this fic, so don't worry.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After the startling story about his past and his parents, Harry could sleep. Ginny had talked herself to sleep. Gushing for hours about everything she knew about Harry Potter. She asked tons of questions. Who had he been with, why did he leave, why had they called him Freak, did they hit him too? He answered her with one or two words each time, Uncle Vernon, he was hungry, they didn't like him, sometimes. Ginny was most horrified when she found out that he had never slept in a bed before. She had hopped out of bed and gotten another pillow for him. Told him he would sleep in a bed now and forever. She would make sure if it.

Ginny continued to mumble about the things she would do to this horrid Uncle Vernon, and how she would take care of Harry so that he was never hungry again until she fell asleep. Now Harry lay next to her watching her sleep. He brushed her hair behind her ear. This was the first person who had ever cared about him. He would protect her at all cost. She needed him.

* * *

><p>Ginny woke up slowly, blinking at the bright light coming in through the window. As she stretched she bumped in to something warm that grunted when touched. She sat up quickly as last night came back to her. He new friend was the REAL Harry Potter! She turned to look and the tiny boy curled into a ball in the bed next to her, and a frown creased her brow. This boy was nothing like the Harry Potter in the storied daddy told her. That Harry was heroic and powerful, always having grand adventures. Well this Harry was powerful, but he seemed so scared.<p>

This Harry had been hurt; his uncle was a horrible person. Looking at the small boy she realized that though he may be powerful he was small that she was. This Harry needed her, and she would do everything in her power to protect him for as long as he needed her. Forever if it was up to her.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next weeks flew by for Harry. Life at the burrow was loud and hectic, very different from everything Harry had every experienced. The morning after he discovered his name, he had met the rest of Ginny's family. Well, _met_ wasn't really the right word. They had flooed in that morning and Ginny had quietly told him their names. Since they came the house had been loud. Harry had been scared at first that these boys would be like Dudley, but as the days turned to week Harry realized that while loud and rambunctious all the boys were good natured. Still, Harry was unwilling to show himself to anyone but Ginny.

He had finally met the fourth Weasley pet, a rat named scabbers. The rat was creepy. His reading lessons with Ginny were going well, as were her magic lessons. Ginny could now change the color of almost anything. She couldn't do sizes yet, nor could she conjure materials like Harry could, but she was getting there.

All in all life was better now for Harry than it had ever been; clean clothes, regular showers, food every day, and a bed at night. Plus a friend. Yes life as Harry Potter, invisible friend of Ginny Weasley, was much better than life as Freak, beaten and starved.

* * *

><p>Molly Weasley had not had a great few weeks. The ghoul was driving her mental and costing her family money to boot. It was running water in the showers, stealing clothes from Ron, and hiding food. Looking at her finances she was worried. There was no way they could afford a third child at Hogwarts. As it was, they grew their own food, mended old clothes and held the house together with magic. Arthur's salary barely kept Bill and Charlie at Hogwarts. Putting her head in her hands she sighed. She would have to talk to Arthur. They needed to see the Goblins about a loan, if they wanted Percy to go to school. Merlin save them in the years to come when the twins began at the same time.<p>

* * *

><p>Harry had now been at the Burrow for almost 2 months. It was late and Ginny was already asleep. Harry was thirsty and had snuck down to the kitchen to get some water. He paused when he heard voices coming from his destination.<p>

"…just not possible. Supplies for a third alone child alone would take up what is left of your salary. Not to mention tuition and uniforms. And Ginny can't keep wearing the boys clothes, she's growing so fast that she already need new shoes. Arthur what else can we do? We have to talk to the goblins."

The Goblins! Harry had almost forgotten about Griphook's offer to teach him magic! Moving into the kitchen, he listened to the rest of the conversation.

"Alright Molly, I'll go talk to them this weekend. I'll floo Mum about keeping the boy's and you can take Ginny to get her shoes." Arthur quieted as Molly burst into tears. Harry didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't want Ginny's mom to be sad.

"Arthur, they're not going to give us a loan with out collateral. We could lose the house."

"I know Mols. It'll work out. Maybe I can pick up more hours at work, and you could find something that you could do at home. Let tomorrow worry for itself. I'll talk to the goblins and see where we can straight our money further and get information about a loan if should it become necessary."

Harry decided he would find out was a loan was when he talked to Griphook about magic, which hopefully he could do this weekend.

* * *

><p>Harry had told Ginny that on the way through Diagon Alley that he was going to the bank to see Griphook. Ginny nodded and told him to be sure to make it back in time to floo home with the rest of them.<p>

Harry followed Arthur to the bank and stopped by the first goblin he came to.

"Excuse me, sir." He addressed the austere looking guard. The goblin blinked at the child in front of him addressing him as sir! No wizard was polite to a goblin. Not since the first of the wars over a thousand years ago. The only interaction they ever had was at the banks, there was no where else in the magical world where they mixed.

"If it's not too much trouble, I would like to see Mr. Griphook please." The goblin nodded, impressed with the child in front of him. Harry waited for the goblin to move or yell or something, but he never moved. Then, moments later Griphook came around the corner.

"Mr. Potter, wonderful to see you again." Griphook said as he motioned for Harry to follow him. They entered a large room with a table and many chairs. Griphook motioned for him to sit.

"Mr. Griphook, sir thank you for agreeing to help me. I appreciate it so much. I do have a question if it's not trouble." Griphook nodded for the boy to continue. "How do you know my name, sir? I didn't know my name last time I was here." Harry asked.

Griphook contemplated the boy; he had already planed to teach him some things, if for no other reason than to gain access to his extensive vaults. The 5% manager fee alone would raise his status to the top 10 goblins at the London branch. It would also give him a seat on the goblin council. But he had not intended to teach the child all he knew, and then the boy turned out to be so polite.

"That is part of what I will teach you child, how to know someone by feel of magic as well as sight." Griphook answered.

"Sir, I would have liked to come sooner, but I do not have a way here unless the family I and staying with comes. How will I get here for you to teach me?"

Griphook pulled a single sickle and handed it to the boy. "This has been made into what wizards call a portkey. I had it made for you after the last time we spoke. It will bring you here when it is time for your studies. If it is agreeable I have time to meet with you twice a week, Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings." Harry nodded, and took the coin. "Keep the sickle in your pocket and it will activate when it is time, and then return you to wherever you came from. Now since you were not planning to stay today, I would like to give you something to work on. Goblin magic is not flashy like the wizards. It is in the mind. Before you can learn goblin magic you must first master your mind. Every night I want you to spend at least 30 minutes meditating. Do you know how to meditate?"

"No, Sir." Harry responded.

Griphook explained, "Find a quite place and get into a comfortable position. Clear your mind of thought by concentrating on your breathing. The purpose of this is to find your center, the inner part that makes you who you are. You must find this before we can move forward. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir." Harry answered.

"Good, then just one more order of business. In exchange for teaching you I would like you to name me manager of the Potter vaults. Since the death of your parents they have been held in trust without a manager. Investments have stagnated." at Harry's confused look Griphook restated, "The vaults have not made any money because they do not have an active manager to see to it. I would like to change that. I hate to see such a large and profitable account not generating revenue, ah money."

"Alright, Sir." Harry nodded, "That reminds me of a question I had. I heard the Weasley's talking about needing a loan. What is a loan, sir?"

"A loan is when people borrow money."

Harry nodded; he understood from Griphook that he had money, "Can I give it to them, sir? I have money, right? In the vaults that I made you manager of, can I give it to them?"

Griphook smiled, polite and generous, "I'll see to it, when the Weasleys ask for a loan I will take it from your vaults. Am I to assume that you don't want to have them repay you?"

Harry shook his head, "No, and can you make sure that their vault never runs out. I'm staying in their home so they should have some money for it. Uncle Vernon always talked about how expensive I am. I want to make sure I don't cost them too much."

"I'll see to that as well." Griphook assured him. "Now run along and I'll see you Tuesday evening."

* * *

><p>Harry made it back to the lobby in time to see Mr. Weasley walk out the door. He sprinted after him and caught up just as they met Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. On the walk back to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry told Ginny all about his meeting with the goblins and when he was coming back to learn more. Ginny made him promise to teach her everything he learned.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Harry sat in Ginny's closet doing as Griphook said. Beside him, curled on her side with her head on his thigh, slept Ginny. The past two afternoons they had holed up in her closet to practice meditating. Harry found it peaceful, calming. It was like what he used to do in his cupboard with his marble. Ginny, however, lasted about five or ten minutes before she fell asleep. To her credit though she never left, she would stay until Harry had meditated for his hour, then Harry would have tea with Ginny out in the yard.

Tonight was Harry's first lesson with Griphook. The goblin had told him that before he could learn magic he had to master his mind. He was not really sure how to do that, but had dutifully meditated every afternoon. Harry stretched and gently woke Ginny.

She blinked sleepily at him and yawned, "We done now?"

"Yes, what do you want to play now?" he asked her.

"Can we practice magic? I have a feeling that today I'll be able to float my marble!"

"Ok, out in the garden? We can take the dragons and have tea with we practice." Harry knew that tea parties were Ginny's most favorite things. She loved to pretend they were older and discussing important things like politics and the love lives of people they knew. Of course the only people they knew were Mr. and Mrs. Tubbins the Stuffed Blue and Pink Dragons, but the dragon couple had such interesting lives. Everyday Ginny would spin a different tale of adventure for the two. Harry wondered what adventure story he would hear today as Ginny grabbed both dragons and her marble before heading to the door.

* * *

><p>Ginny knew that Harry was going to his lesson that evening, but she was still surprised when he disappeared right in the middle of Mr. Tubbins recounting of the time he had valiantly rescued Mrs. Tubbins from the evil muggle dragon slayers. She sat at the table for a while after Harry left. She still had not been able to float her marble, but she was determined to succeed. Placing her marble on the table she began trying again.<p>

Meanwhile, Harry was mid-drink when he felt a tug in his belly and the whole world began to spin. Then all of a sudden he was laying on the floor of the office he had met Griphook in with the goblin standing above him. Griphook motioned for him to stand and follow.

Harry was so excited! He was about to learn magic! Harry could barely contain his excitement. He followed the goblin to a smaller room dimly lit by a fire with a soft looking animal skin rug on the floor. The goblin walked to the rub and sat. Harry practically bounced to the rub and sat next to him.

"Have you been meditating?" Griphook asked the exuberant boy.

"Yes, sir. Every afternoon. It's like what I used to do in my cupboard with my marble, but I haven't been able to find my insides yet. What do my insides look like, sir?" Harry asked.

The goblin chuckled at the boy, "Not insides, inner self. What makes you, you. Now tell me about this marble."

Harry pulled out his marble and placed it in the air between them. Slowly he moved his had away from the marble and it stayed hanging in the air. As Harry closed his eyes, the marble began glow and to draw shapes in the air. After a time he spoke a color "Yellow" and the marble changed colors and began to leave a colorful air trail in its wake. The marble completed a yellow square and Harry said, "Green." The marble began to make a circle.

Griphook watched as the boy went through shape after shape and color after color until they were surrounded why fiery designs. When Harry stopped the marble fell into his hand and the shapes disappeared. He looked at Griphook.

"You are almost there. Close you eyes and listen to my voice. I will guide you through it." Harry settled and began his breathing and meditating. Griphook watched the boy as he began to speak. "When you make the marble draw, do you see the shape in your mind?"

"Yes, it draws what I see." The boy replied.

"Instead of seeing the marble, I want you to see yourself. Do exactly what you do with your marble, but see yourself instead. Tell me when you have done this." The goblin paused to allow the boy time to follow this instruction.

Harry listened and began to try to do as the goblin instructed. He tried to picture himself. He was short and small, too small. He had messy hair and bright green eyes. As he though about each of his features he formed a picture of himself in his mind. When he thought he had it he said, "Alright, I'm ready."

"Good, now I would like you to see where you want to be. It can be anywhere, wherever you are most comfortable. Build this place around your image of yourself. See yourself there, and then be there. Pay attention to what you feel, build texture and color. Make this place real. This will take time. Begin now and I will stop you when it is time to go. You will continue to build this place for the next few days." Griphook explained.

Harry nodded and began to try. Where was he most comfortable? That was easy, anywhere Ginny was. He thought about the garden at the burrow, the table and tea set with the Tubbins'. Ginny sitting across from him chattering away about everything, and grass growing under his feet.

He though about what Mr. Griphook had said about feelings, to do this he though about how he felt about Ginny. He cared about her and wanted her to be happy. He added to his image everything he knew that made her happy. Red tulips, rainbows and kittens. No not kittens, baby tigers. He made the Tubbins' real dragons instead of stuffed toys and watched as they flew around. He made a grand lake with sea animals that played about in the water and swam to the surface to see him. He conjured unicorns with wings for them to ride because he knew Ginny loved to fly. Turned the Burrow into a wonder house where each room was a playground, filled will toys and games.

He walked back to the table and smiled at the image of Ginny. He wanted her happy and his place reflected that. But he wanted her safe as well. He looked at the small dragons and pictured them life size. They grew to gigantic creatures. He looked at the baby tigers and made two of them adults with giant claws and sharp teeth. He began to make a towering wall when he heard his name.

"Harry." He was pulled from creating Ginny's wonderland by Griphook's hand on his shoulder. "It's almost time to go. I want you to continue to create this place for yourself. We will move on when it is complete." They stood together for a moment more before the portkey activated and took Harry back to the burrow.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ginny was getting frustrated. It had been almost two months since Harry had begun to learn the most amazing things from the goblins. Two months and she still couldn't move that blasted marble! Now to top it all off, as of this morning, Harry could read better than she could! How was that even possible? Last week he had still been sounding out words and stumbling over anything with more than two syllables, and then BAM, he was reading the financial section in the newspaper her father had left on the table! And understanding it!

She sat with him everyday to practice meditation, but always either fell asleep or ended up just watching Harry has he practiced. It was important that he practice, and he always did anything else she wanted to do the rest of the time. She just wished she was making the progress that he was.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Harry. Are you ready to be tested today?" Griphook greeted him as he portkeyed into his office.<p>

Over the past two months, Griphook had instructed Harry on the creation of his mindscape. Teaching him how to interact with it and what elements needed to be added to an effective mindscape. Today Griphook would be testing Harry on what he had learned and implemented. If the test went well today Griphook would began to teach him goblin magic!

"Yes, Sir!" Harry said excited.

"Alright, I will try to enter your mindscape. I want you to try to block me." Griphook explained.

Harry nodded. Griphook had told him about Occulmency and Legilmency. What he was learning was similar to those wizarding arts. While Occulmency was about obscuring the thought, the goblin concept of the mindscape built defenses to protect the mind. The goblin version of Legilmency was also different. Goblins cast a thread of their consciousness towards the mind they want to see and snuck inside. Harry became aware of a thread of consciousness and sent his own to meet it.

Griphook had begun the test the moment the boy nodded. The boy was a real prodigy; Harry sensed him the moment he touched the boy's mind. He felt around the boys mind looking for a weakness. He found several cracks and nudged at them causing Harry to notice the weakness and shore it up. None of the weaknesses were enough to get through with out acting like a battering ram, but it was better to fix them now in safety rather than wait for potential danger.

When the goblin was satisfied that there was no easy way into the boys mind, he pulled back. "Good, good. We'll need to check often in the beginning to keep those cracks closed, but I am confident that no creature can see your mind now without you at least knowing that they are there. Next we will work on those that will try to force there way in. Remember this young one. Knowledge is the greatest power! Guard your mind fiercely."

Harry was thrilled. He had passed his first test! "Now," continued Griphook, "We begin build defenses. Reach your mind for mine and I will show you the defenses around my mindscape." Harry did as he was told and felt the goblin's mind grab his.

At first he struggled. "Be still, child! We will learn that skill later. For now you must not fight. You need to see to learn." Harry relaxed and allowed his mind to be pulled in to the goblins. It was a disconcerting feeling.

Next thing Harry knew he was standing in a cave next to Griphook. Along the walls were rows of iron goblins armed with every imaginable weapon. "These are my first line of defense." The goblin told him. "If anyone succeeds in forcing their way into my mind, these statues would attack them. Do you know what happens to a being when their consciousness is killed in a mindscape?"

"Do they die for real?" Harry guessed.

"No. The body can live without the mind, but it is a useless existence. If the thread of consciousness is large enough, the body will never wake. If it is small, sometimes the body will wake and not remember everything, perhaps not anything. Remember child; always be careful when you enter a mind. If the mind is prepared you may be in great danger. In time, I will teach you how to bring defenders with you when you enter."

Harry nodded. The warning issued, Griphook continued his tour. The two walked deeper into the tunnel where vaults were on each side. The vaults had labels. Harry looked at the goblin and asked, "These are like the vaults in Gringotts! Are they part of your library?"

"Very astute, my boy." Griphook praised. "Yes, this one is my skills vault."

"Skills, this is the place you put knowledge about abilities, right?" At the goblins nod, Harry continued grinning like a loon. "I put my letters in my Skills room yesterday, and this morning I didn't have to sound out my words! I could read smoothly and understand better."

"Congratulations, Harry. If you spend a few moments each night organizing your rooms you will find this is true in all areas. If you file information you read into special areas within Knowledge it will move forward more readily when you call for it. We will practice this often so that you can learn faster." Griphook replied.

The two continued on. As they went Harry asked many questions and Griphook pointed out things until the goblin was satisfied that the boy understood. Harry found the return trip back to his own body as disconcerting as the first. He decided then that he would rather stay in his own body if possible. Organizing his mind this was extremely valuable and defending it was as well, but there was to many dangers in looking into others minds. "Mr. Griphook sir, what kinds of letters were on your vaults?"

"That was the goblin language, Gobbledygook. When your mindscape is ready, I will teach you." Griphook smiled, the boy was a sponge. Every time he heard of something new he wanted to learn it. "Now I would like to see what you have built in your mindscape. I will reach my consciousness for yours. Grab hold of it. Then sink into your mindscape and I will come with you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Harry felt the goblin and imagined his minds hand touching the goblins. Then he sank into his mindscape, he called it Ginny's Palace or just the Palace for short.

Griphook stood in the middle of a mythical paradise. Looking around him at the place Harry had created, he could tell that it had been crated by a child. Everywhere he looked things defied reality. There were saltwater creatures in a freshwater lake, life size dragons that were made of velveteen, pink and blue unicorns with wings. There was a wall built around the garden. That was good; it could be developed into a primary defense and the various animals could be used as guardians.

"Show me your rooms, Harry." He instructed.

"I hid them, is that ok?" Harry asked.

Griphook nodded, "Of course, remember that my vaults were in a mazelike cave guarded by goblin warriors. The harder your rooms are to find, especially your Memory room, the more time you have to prevent intruders from reaching them."

Harry smiled, pleased that he had done well. "I put the Skills room in the house. I modeled it after the Burrow and used Ginny's room. My Memory room is at the bottom of the lake. I have a castle and mermaids down there. The dolphins let me hold on to them and ride down. It's too far to go with out them, but with their help I can hold my breath. And my Knowledge room is in a castle I build on that cloud up there. The dragons or unicorns fly take up me there. Which one do you want to see first?"

"Tell me Harry, why did you choose to protect your Memory and Knowledge rooms for well but leave your Skills room in the house where it is easier to get to?" Griphook asked.

Harry thought about this for a moment before answering, "Well I didn't want the rooms together because then if someone got in, they could see everything quickly. Like in the lesson you taught me, things in the mind move so much faster, so if someone got in and I did feel it I wanted them to have to look for important stuff, not put it all together. Then I thought that anyone who tried to break into my mind would be after my memories or knowledge instead of my skills, so I made those to harder to find."

"Very well, Skills room first then" Griphook said, "Lead the way."

* * *

><p>Griphook was impressed with Harry rooms overall. In each one he made minor suggestions on organization, but what the boy had done was a far better start than most practitioners made. As he was getting ready to teach the boy to release him, Harry spoke again.<p>

"Can I show you something else before you go? I locked it in the shed. I don't know what it is, but I know it's bad. I found it in my memories before I put them in the lake, but it's different. It's real. The tigers helped me lock it up, and they've been guarding it since. It's angry and scary. I want it to not be here anymore."

Griphook was worried. He knew this boy story. He knew what the child had been through. What if Voldemort had done something to the boy before he was destroyed? "Show me." He commanded.

Harry lead the goblin to a normal looking garden shed. The closer he got he realized that while the shed look normal it was anything but. It was more of a bunker, armored on all sides. In front of the only way in or out were two massive tigers. One stood and walked to meet them.

"The prisoner has been screaming again, Harry." The tiger said. Griphook stumbled for a moment, could all the animals in Harry's mind talk?

"Mr. Griphook is going to go see it. Will you take him to the cage? I don't want to be near it." The tiger nodded and turned toward the door. Harry yelled "Mr. Tubbins!" and one of the dragons landed. Harry walked towards it and untied a key from the dragon's leg. The key unlocked the padlock on the door. Then Harry spoke to the door, "Safety."

Once the door opened the tiger spoke again, "Follow me, sir." and walked into the shed.

* * *

><p>Griphook was amazed at the prison he had been through and terrified by what was being held there. He had just sent Harry back to the Burrow for the day after assuring the boy that he would do some research. The boy seemed content that his mentor would solve this problem.<p>

Griphook had followed the tiger into the shed and through a series of dark tunnels until he had come to an oubliette of sorts. He was sure the boy did not know that he had locked the monster in his mind into the most feared type of prison in history. Oubliettes had been created as an inescapable prison.

The tunnels ended in a deep pit. Caged at the bottom was a humanoid creature, blackened and knurled, screaming and cursing that he be released. This was not spell residue; this was not a curse. He would have to do some research, but he was terrified that he knew what that thing was already.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Harry was sorting out what he had done and learned that day into his rooms. There was much to put into the rooms today. Today was Christmas. His first real Christmas. His only gift had been from Ginny of course, and it had been hand made, but that was still wonderful. She had made him a picture book of the two of them doing all sorts of things; swimming in the creek by the Burrow, throwing garden gnomes over the wall, climbing the apple trees, and everything else they had done since they had met.

He had also met her two oldest brothers who were home for the holiday. Shortly after he had come to live with the Weasley's, Ginny had asked him why he didn't let her brothers see him too. She understood his fear of adults, but Ron was his age. He told her about Dudley. She had not asked him to appear to anyone else since then, but that didn't mean that she didn't introduce him like the others could see him anyway. The moment that Mr. Weasley had brought Bill and Charlie home, Ginny had hugged both and introduced her new friend, Harry Potter.

He had loved watching Ginny open her presents. The older boys had given her chocolate that moved! When she opened the packet a frog jumped out. That had been his favorite. Her parents gave her clothes and the younger boys had gone in together using their pocket money to get her a new color quills and a sketch book.

His gift to her had been a promise to spend all day boxing day helping her with her marble. He knew she was frustrated that she still could not move it at all. He had begun to sort his mind at night so that during their hour of meditation he could help her. He could tell it was working. She was still struggling, but he was confident that she would get it tomorrow.

She didn't understand why it seemed to come so easily to Harry and why she struggled so much. At first Harry didn't either, but as he sorted through his memories and organized his room, he thought now he did. He now remembered his parents, and he thought the family dog, a huge, black giant of the thing. It must have died when his family did. He could remember ridding it like a pony. He remembered that night, sort of. He had locked it up with the monster he found in the memory.

Then he remembered the cupboard. He had only been 15 months old then, but that was when he had begun using his magic. He knew why that monster had been so easy to lock up. It was because he had been unconsciously containing it for years already. Then when he was almost 3 he had found his marble.

Ginny had turned 4 a few months ago. She lived with a loving family. She played with toys and her brothers. While he had used his magic out of necessity almost all his life, she had never had the need. Today he had suggested a different approach for her. She was trying to do what he did to learn; tomorrow they were going to do something completely different.

* * *

><p>Ginny woke Harry up at 6 AM on Boxing Day. She was so excited! Harry had told her that he was going to pull her into his mindscape today! He thought that if she could see and feel what to look for then she would be able to understand how to do it herself.<p>

"Harry" she whispered, nudging his shoulder, "Harry, wake up."

He blinked up at her and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Morning." He said sleepily.

"When can we start? I can't wait; I've wanted to be able to do what you do for such a long time. Thank you so much for helping me." She continued to ramble, but Harry had stopped listening and was just letting her voice wash over him. The last four month had been the best of his life. He was still a quite boy, probably always would be, but he loved nothing more than listening to Ginny talk.

When she wound down, he told her what he was going to do and that they couldn't be disturbed.

"Don't worry Harry, we always sleep in on Boxing Day then eat brunch together at 11. No one else will be up before 10, not even Mum and Daddy." She explained.

"Ok, close your eyes and relax." Harry reached for her mind. It took a moment since she didn't know how to send out her thoughts, but he found her and pulled her into Her Palace.

* * *

><p>Ginny stood beside the creek at her house. Well it was sort of the creek. This was huge, more of a lake really. Looking around she recognized the garden where they had tea parties, but there was a gazebo over the table there, and stone wall surrounding the property. The house was there, too. It looked sturdier than the real one.<p>

Ginny looked at Harry and asked, "It's like home."

"You haven't seen the best part yet." He let out a shrill whistle, and two very familiar dragons landed in front of them.

Ginny squealed, "Mr. and Mrs. Tubbins! Harry, how?"

"They are my guardians. There are baby tigers in the garden, mermaids in the lake, and flying Unicorns somewhere around. And look," He pointed to a cloud "there is a castle up there."

"Hello, Ginny." rumbled a deep voice. Her eyes went wide as the giant living version of her favorite stuffed toy spoke to her. "Would you like to fly?" She looked to Harry then nodded vigorously. Riding the dragon, Harry showed Ginny around. He made sure they steered clear of the shed, but he showed her everything else.

Once the tour was done, the two sat at the table in the gazebo. Ginny looked around this amazing place that Harry had built and was all the more determined to succeed today. After today she would be able to do the incredible things that Harry did too.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"I asked Mr. Griphook why making the marble move was so much harder for you, and he said that it was because magic was kinda like a muscle. See I have been using it for longer so my Magic Muscle is stronger." Harry told her as they sat in his mindscape. "But here things are easer than out there. It's like how you feel lighter in water, the marble will be lighter in here."

Ginny nodded that she understood, so Harry continued. "Don't try to move the marble, instead just close your eyes and let the marble move. See it in your mind doing things and it will start really doing them."

Ginny looked at him skeptically, but closed her eyes anyway. She knew the marble was on the table between them. She decided to start small and make it roll, so she pictured the marble rolling in a circle around the table. She began to open her eyes to see if it was working, but Harry stopped her.

"No, Gin. Don't look yet. Just keep picturing it." She sighed, but obeyed. She pictured the marble lifting up off the table still doing the slow circle. "Good, now change directions and make it go the other way." She heard Harry say. Shocked she opened her eyes in time to see the marble fall back to the table.

"It was moving! Harry did you see, it was moving! I was moving the marble!" Her excitement bubbled out of her. She could do this! Maybe she wasn't as strong now as Harry was, but she would work her Magic Muscle everyday until she was.

* * *

><p>After that day, Ginny made sure she did not become board during meditation time. She still could not move the marble in the real world, but she could make it change colors. So while Harry worked on his assignments she would make her marble move through every shade of the rainbow faster and faster. Then Harry would pull her into his mindscape to work on moving it in more and more complex pattern. When they left the mindscape, Ginny would try again. Sometimes the marble would roll a bit, but never like it did in Harry's mind. That is until March.<p>

By mid march Ginny had made a break through. The two of them were meditating in her room. Ginny was working on her visualizations as Harry had said. She had her eyes closed and was practicing seeing the marble circling around her at about head height, when Harry giggled. She opened her eyes and the marble fell from where it was directly in front of her about a foot off the ground.

"Good job, Gin! Were you seeing it circle your body?" Harry asked her.

"Yes! I did it for real Harry!" She closed her eyes tight and saw the marble coming back up. "Tell me what it's doing!" she asked as she pictured it doing a figure 8 around the two of them.

"Oww… Please tell me you didn't see it hitting me in the nose, Ginny" Harry replied in a nasal voice.

Ginny gasped and opened her eyes to see the marble slowly doing a perfect figure 8 and Harry grinning like a loon. She saw the marble begin the fall and firmly set her attention back on it. "That was mean, Harry." She said as she saw the marble through another circle.

"Maybe, but your watching the marble now aren't you." Ginny's eyes flew to his and widened comically. The marble fell to the ground as Ginny lunged at Harry for a tackle hug.

* * *

><p>The mood downstairs was very different from the elation in Ginny's room. Molly was worried about her daughter. Over the past few months she had withdrawn from the rest of the family. She still came down to meals with the family, but she spent all her time alone. She would sit quietly for hours on end alone in her room. That was not normal behavior for a little girl. Yes, Molly was worried for her only daughter. She was determined to speak to her husband about it, and if necessary take her daughter to see a mind healer.<p>

AN: sorry for the delay, real life got in the way last week :(


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Molly sat in the kitchen sipping tea and watching her daughter play tag in the yard by herself. She looked like she was having a ball, chasing something only she could see. She had spoken to Arthur about Ginny's invisible friend. He assured her it was harmless and reminded her of the month Charlie had spent insisting he had a miniature pet dragon with him. Sighing she thought of her boys

Arthur had gone to pick up the Bill and Charlie from the Hogwarts express. They had just finished their Fifth and Third years. Bill was confident about his owls, or so his letter home had said. She hoped it was true; he would need them if he stayed on his current career path to become either a Wards Specialist or a Curse Breaker. He would be attending a youth program at Gringotts this summer to be an assistant to the goblins that kept the bank secure. It would mostly be paperwork and running errands, but he would get a small salary and get to watch the Curse Breaker or Wards Specialist he helped,

Charlie on the other hand wanted to work at a magical zoo or on a dragon reserve. She could understand where her boys got the desire for such dangerous job from. She would be taking him to help out a few hours a day at the Magical Menagerie this summer when she took Bill to and from Gringotts. When Charlie had found out that Bill got to have a summer job he had begged to find something that would, in his words "Assist me toward my future goals" also. She had never laughed so had as when she read that letter, the boy had sounded both petulant and serious, but in the end she had allowed him to look for one provided that it was not more that 3 days a week. So this summer he would be helping care for magical pets in the pet store in the Alley.

Percy, her little bookworm, was in the living room surrounded by a pile of old first year text books. The boy was so excited to be attending Hogwarts next year. She knew for a fact that he had already read through every old textbook they owned at least twice. He used to beg to go to the book store, but books were just so expensive. Around Christmas he had been selected by Gringotts as the winner of an essay contest though and now received 1 free book a month on various topics. Currently he was reading _Healing Arts for Children_. It described many common injuries and illnesses, and what remedies were available for them all. He had gotten it last week, and he insisted that he be allowed to heal all bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes since then.

The twins were hiding in their room, occasionally a loud bang or small explosion would go off in there. She was almost more worried about the two of them than she was Ginny. Pranksters and troublemakers the both of them! But what was she to expect from her two little April Fools? She knew it was a sure sign of trouble to come when they had been born on the First of April. Ginny, it seemed, interacted with them more than the rest of her brothers. The three had a pranking war of sorts going on. At least she was pretty sure it was her daughter that was at war with the twins. It was impossible to tell for sure though as whoever it was covered their tracks to well.

Ron, her youngest boy, was coloring a picture of a game Quidditch and listening to the Cannons game on the wireless.

Deciding that her husband right, that Ginny's invisible friend was no more a problem than Ron's obsession with Cannons, she resolved to quit worrying for the day. Over all things were going so well. All her kids were healthy, two of her boys were be working summer jobs, and Arthur had been put on retainer with Gringotts to assist in any muggleborns had problems with charmed objects. This extra income was an unexpected blessing that removed much of the pressure on them financially, and so far he had only had to go in once for a biting hair tie.

Yes, all it all life was good. She would worry latter about her sons' dangerous jobs prospects, or the twins blowing things up, or her daughter's overactive immigration.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore sat in his office. It was always quite the day the children left. He had just sat down to a claming cup of mint tea when he noticed that his message box was glowing. He had not used the message box since Voldemort had fallen. It was a safe way to send messages in an unsafe world. Owls could be captured, floo required you be near a fireplace, and the Patronus Charm could be overheard. A message box however required only that the owner key a person into it, then all that person had to do was touch a letter while saying the owner's name and password. The letter would then disappear and reappear in the message box.<p>

Very few people still had access to his message box. Rising he made his way to the message box to see what was within. Inside was a single letter that when read almost made his heart stop and prompted a flurry of activity.

_Albus,_

_After years of waiting, the Dursley's finally asked for my babysitting services for their son Dudley. In asking Petunia the normal childcare questions, I asked about other children she may leave or that she is responsible for. She told me that there is only one child in her home, and "thank the lord for that!" I am afraid for Harry. Please come quickly! _

_Arabella _


	17. Chapter 17

AN: SO SORRY! I've had the biggest case of writers block! I wasn't planning to have Harry's disappearance discovered so soon, but then Arabella got so worried! I had to figure out how to get where the story was back to where it should be. Hopefully it wont be so long between updates again.

* * *

><p>Chapter 17<p>

Albus spilled out of the fireplace in Wisteria Lane moments after reading the note. The house was empty save for a kneazle and half a dozen kneazle-cat mixes. Looking at the only pure kneazle in the room he spoke a sharp command, "Find you, Mistress. Be swift!" Watching the animal dart from the room, he sat on the couch and flicked his wand and conjured a tea set. He sat, not drinking his tea, and tapping his foot while he waited for the cat to find Arabella. It was probably only five minutes, but seemed to take an eternity before the women hurried into the room. Albus stood to greet her.

"Arabella, tell me everything. The wards I have tied to the boy have given me no indication that he has come to harm." Albus began.

"Every morning I walk through the neighborhood meeting parents and being visable. I make sure that route takes me by the Dursley's home at least once a week. Some days the house is quite, and others there are boys playing in yard, four of them." She placed a photo on the table. "Dudley I have discovered is the heavy set boy here," she said as she began pointing them out. "The little black boy is Malcolm Abbey, I keep it on Thursdays so his mum can do yoga. These two here," she pointed to do small boys, won blonde and the other had black hair. "I had thought this one was Harry, the hair is just like James'. Oh, Albus! Where could be if he's not there?"

Albus touched the picture with his wand and said "Nomen Ostendo Sum.*" Above each boy in the picture appeared a name. Dudley Dursley, Malcolm Abbey, Gordon Hudson, and above the boy Arabella had thought was Harry, Dennis Padmore.

* * *

><p>Harry lay on the floor panting, gasping for breath. It had to be a form of torture, what his trainers were putting him through. Ever since he had finished his mindscape, Griphook's twice a week lessons had been handed over to the goblin trainer. Ragnuk XXI, his trainer, was vicious to the class Harry was in. Vicious, but brilliant. Ragnuk was a descendent of Ragnuk the First, the Goblin king of the First Goblin rebellion. Harry's trainer was an old warrior from the last war. He had trained most of the current generation of goblins in the Arts of War.<p>

Harry's class consisted of himself and five goblin children his age. At first his class was resentful that they would be trained with a human, but as the days passed and Harry held his own with the others he slowly earned a measure of respect. Urg and Vargot still resented that they had to study with a human, the others Bodrig and Bogrod, goblin twins who delighted in created havoc, and Alguph had gained a respect for Harry after their first lesson in hand to hand combat. Currently, the class was just going through forms, learning the motions; how to hit, how to fall. Eventually they would learn weapons too, once their stamina had built up enough.

At the moment, Harry was recovering from some of those stamina exercises. Ragnuk had them simulating warfare. Each would partner up. Harry's partner was always Alguph, the only goblin student willing to pair with the human. The pair would run through a seires of moves repeatedly, increasing in speed each time Ragnuk signaled. Both partners held a staff; they would block a high strike, block a low strike, dug a blow to the head, and jump a blow to the legs. Then they would switch and repeat.

After the each round through they would count off. If one partner got hit they would reset the count and start over. Ragnuk would make them continue until one group reached 100 repetitions without a mistake. The other two groups that did not reach 100 then had to run the half mile around the training complex, repeatedly, until they finished first. For the past three lessons, Harry and Alguph had reached 100 first.

Nearly recovered from lessons today, Harry dragged himself up from the floor and portkeyed back to the burrow. He headed up to the shower and started the water. Griphook had helped Harry buy his own clothes so he wasn't still wearing Ron's clothes, but that left him with the problem of cleaning them, especially on days he trained with the goblins. Normal clothes he could sneak in with the other laundry and Mrs. Weasley would never notice, but training clothes were a different story. So, he would wash his clothes while in the shower then hang them out Ginny's window. As he stood in the shower washing his hair, his training clothes in the floor of the shower, the door to the bathroom opened.

* * *

><p>Molly was collecting dirty clothes from her kid's rooms when she passed the bathroom and heard the shower running. This puzzled her because Arthur was at work, Bill was at Gringotts, and Charlie at the Menagerie. She could see Percy in the kitchen rereading his first year books, and could hear Ron, Ginny and the Twins were in the yard playing tag. So who was in the shower?<p>

She slowly opened the door to see the curtain pulled, shower running and workout clothes on the floor. She pulled her wand and slowly moved towards the shower. She reached out and moved the curtain to see an empty shower.

"Bloody Ghoul!" she huffed as she turned off the shower and gathered the clothes up off the floor, before turning and heading towards the wash room.

* * *

><p>Harry sat huddled in the tub, soapy hair, as Mrs. Weasley left the bathroom. He waited until he was shivering to risk turning the water back on the get the soap out of his hair.<p>

* * *

><p>*Reveal the name<p> 


End file.
